Kamil Perry
Government cheese is processed cheese provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security in the United States. It is also distributed to food banks and churches. Government cheese was a byproduct of maintaining an artificially high and stabilized price of milk through dairy industry subsidies, which produced a surplus that was in turn converted into cheese, butter, and powdered milk. The excess was stored in over 150 warehouses across 35 states, creating a strategic Federal food reserve. As of 2022, eligible seniors over the age of 60 are provided with one 32-ounce block of processed cheese food each month.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is government cheese? | Processed cheese provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security in the United States, as well as to food banks and churches. |
| When did it start? | The government began stockpiling cheese in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter to stabilize dairy prices and alleviate a national dairy shortage. |
| How much cheese did the government stockpile? | By the early 1980s, the government owned over 500 million pounds of cheese. As of 2022, the government stores 1.4 billion pounds of cheese. |
| Where is the cheese stored? | The cheese is stored in "Missouri cheese caves", underground warehouses in the Midwestern state of Missouri, and other facilities across the country. |
| Who gets government cheese? | Eligible seniors over the age of 60 receive a 32-ounce block of processed cheese food each month. People can also get government cheese from food banks and community centers. |
| What does it taste like? | Opinions vary. Some people say it is delicious, while others describe it as salty and of varying quality. |
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What You'll Learn
- Government cheese is provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security
- It is distributed to food banks, churches, and community centers
- Government cheese was created to remove waste and use all available resources
- It is stored in Missouri cheese caves, underground warehouses in Missouri
- Government cheese was referenced in songs by Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg
Government cheese is provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security
The history of government cheese in the United States dates back to the 1970s when the government intervened during a national dairy shortage. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter implemented policies to subsidize the dairy industry, resulting in increased production and a surplus of dairy products. To manage this surplus, the government began converting dairy into cheese, butter, and powdered milk, which had a longer shelf life.
By the early 1980s, the government owned over 500 million pounds of cheese. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan enacted the public distribution of government cheese through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. This program provided cheese at no cost to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and Social Security recipients. The cheese was distributed in 5-pound blocks and was often moldy due to storage issues.
Government cheese became an important topic in the press during the 1980s, as it highlighted the contrast between the stockpiles of milk products and the food insecurity faced by millions of Americans. Despite the end of government cheese subsidies in the 1990s, the government continues to store and distribute cheese to eligible seniors and those in need through various programs.
Today, government cheese is still provided to eligible seniors over the age of 60 through the USDA Food Nutrition Service Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). The distribution amount has remained consistent since 2018, with seniors receiving one 32-ounce block of processed cheese food each month. Government cheese is also distributed through food banks and community centers, where anyone in need can access it.
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It is distributed to food banks, churches, and community centers
Government cheese is distributed to food banks, churches, and community centers, where it is given to people in need. Food banks and community centers give away government cheese for free to people who need it. During the pandemic, food banks were begging people to come and pick up the cheese, even if they were not on food assistance. This cheese is also provided to victims of natural disasters following a state of emergency declaration.
Government cheese is a commodity cheese that was controlled by the US federal government from World War II until the early 1980s. It was created as a byproduct of maintaining an artificially high and stabilized price of milk through dairy industry subsidies, which produced a surplus that was converted into cheese, butter, and powdered milk. This surplus was stored in over 150 warehouses across 35 states, creating a strategic Federal food reserve.
The cheese was provided monthly in unsliced block form, with generic product labeling and packaging. It was often from stockpiled food surpluses, and some of it was made of kosher products. Government cheese is "pasteurized process American cheese", made from a variety of cheeses, including Cheddar, Colby, cheese curd, or granular cheese. It is made meltable using emulsifiers and blended.
The distribution of government cheese to food banks, churches, and community centers helps to ensure that those in need have access to nutritious food. It also helps to reduce food waste by utilizing surplus dairy products.
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Government cheese was created to remove waste and use all available resources
In the 1970s, the US government intervened in response to a national dairy shortage and drastic inflation in dairy product prices. This intervention led to a drastic fall in prices, and in 1977, President Jimmy Carter decided to invest in the dairy industry to motivate production and alleviate the crisis. The government set a new policy to subsidize dairy, providing two billion dollars to the industry over the next four years.
Farmers, knowing that the government would likely purchase whatever was not sold on the market, were incentivized to produce as much dairy as possible. By the early 1980s, the government owned over 500 million pounds of cheese, which was converted from milk due to its longer shelf life. This cheese was initially stored in over 150 warehouses across 35 states, creating a strategic Federal food reserve.
In 1981, then-Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block, brought a five-pound block of mouldy cheese to the White House, stating that the government was unable to sell it and was looking to give it away. This marked the beginning of "government cheese", which was distributed through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security. It was also provided to food banks, churches, and victims of natural disasters.
The distribution of government cheese was intended to address the problem of waste and make effective use of all available resources. It was also sold at discounted prices or given as aid to foreign countries. California was the first state to receive surplus cheese inventory, receiving 3,000,000 pounds. Government cheese became an important topic for the press in the 1980s, as they highlighted the contrast between the stockpiled milk products and the food insecurity faced by millions of Americans.
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It is stored in Missouri cheese caves, underground warehouses in Missouri
Missouri is known as "the Cave State" due to the abundant and porous limestone that forms more than 7,000 caves. The state's cheese caverns were once enormous man-made caves that were dug for mining purposes. After mining operations ended, the remaining system of caverns was recognised as an opportunity for climate-controlled storage with massive holding capacity and access.
The natural underground temperature in Missouri's cheese caves is in the low 60s with moderate humidity, making them ideal for storing and ageing cheese. The caves are part of a national network of underground warehouses in Missouri used for storing and ageing cheese.
The US government currently stores 1.4 billion pounds of cheese in these underground warehouses. This cheese is part of a strategic Federal food reserve available for unexpected surges in demand, such as disaster relief, and crises such as potential nuclear conflict during the Cold War. The cheese was bought and stored by the government's Commodity Credit Corporation.
In the 1970s, the United States experienced an unprecedented dairy shortage. In response, President Jimmy Carter set a new subsidy policy in 1977 that provided $2 billion to the dairy industry over a four-year period. However, by the 1980s, America had gone from too little milk to too much. The US Department of Agriculture purchased the surplus milk, processed it into blocks of cheese, and stored it in the underground warehouses in Missouri.
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Government cheese was referenced in songs by Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg
Government cheese has been referenced in songs by several popular rappers. On his album Magna Carta Holy Grail, Jay-Z wrote a song called "F.U.T.W", which includes the lyrics: "After that government cheese, we eating steak./ After the projects, now we on estates./ I'm from the bottom, I know y'all can relate." This song alludes to the rapper's humble beginnings and his subsequent success, using "government cheese" as a metaphor for his early struggles.
Kendrick Lamar also referenced government cheese in his song "Money Trees" from the album Good Kid, M.A.A.d City. The line "cheese from the government" is a nod to the same idea of overcoming adversity and achieving success, a common theme in hip-hop music.
Additionally, Snoop Dogg mentions "government cheese" in his song "Life in the Projects", with the lyrics: "Bricks like blocks of government cheese/ Seven hundred for the Japanese dungarees". Here, the term is used to describe the large quantity of cocaine he's selling, comparing it to blocks of cheese.
These artists' use of the term "government cheese" reflects its cultural significance, particularly within the context of poverty and government assistance. It is often used metaphorically to represent a person's journey from struggle to success, resonating with listeners who can relate to similar experiences of hardship and aspiration.
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Frequently asked questions
Government cheese is provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security in the United States. Eligible seniors over the age of 60 are provided with a 32-ounce block of processed cheese food each month.
Government cheese can be obtained from food banks, community centers, and food pantries.
Yes, government cheese is provided at no cost to recipients.
Government cheese was distributed in the 1980s and 1990s. It is unclear if the program is still active, but some sources suggest that government cheese may still be available at food banks and pantries.
